Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-09-10
A sINEwY MERMAID.
How She Dl.psr,. Herself on an Atlantic B.as


How She DIspsris Herself on an Atlantic Beach,
letter to San Francisco Argonaut.
Here comes one now-just look at
herl She wears a suit OF scarlet and
white striped ticking, cnt out in a
square round the base of her throat,
and with short sleeves. On her
shoulders are puffs of some red ma.
terial, a ruiile OF which is gathered up
round the neck. Round her waist is
knotted the regulation scarf, and frills
OF red give q finish to her skirt. Her
stockings are of red silk, and red
silk handkerchief is twisted round her
head, the ends knotted in front, dark
ey fashion. Her short English bang
is just visible, and few little ten
drills on the nape OF her neck. She is
brown as mahogany, with small
hand, hard and firm from many
well-fought set on the tennis.ground,
where her service is famous, and her
back.handers dreaded. Under the
growth ofthe smooth skin on ner arms
are muscles which would put your dude
to the blush. In her movements
there are the buoyancy, the nervous
alertness OF perfect health and per.
fectly trained muscles, which make the
Indian the most graceful of bipeds. As
she walks down the beach, the young
men in striped bathing suits, taking sun
baths on the sand, or lying on their
faces gossiping. and languidly kicking
their heels. digging wells, or lazily spoon
ing in the discs of shade cast by tent
like ginsh jump at sight of her, and
rush to meet her, She is inclined to be
chummy with them. Just at present
she eschews any attempts at Irritation,
That will be all very well tonight
when, in q white lace gown, with O vel.
vet band round her neck to hide where
the brown ends and the white begins,
and diamond star in her dark hair,
she will betrivolously inclined, putting
on her coquetries with her gloves and
her mothers rings. The present is
time OF action, not speech. They ask
her to swim with them; challenge her;
bet her, like Cassius and Cesar, that
she can't ''swim to yonder point"
She accepts the challenge with fine
scorn, and they pick out their choicest
swimmer, superb young college ath-
lete, member of his class crew, and
with a record on the ball field He is
a handsome fellow, with arms full OF
shadows, emerging rugged and brown
from the shoulders of his blue suit,
and with crisp, short hair, and Jolly,
boylsh laugh. They back him against
her III 81 race from the raft to the
wharf. Hands areshaken over it, and
odds offered as they stand chatting
on the hard sand, which as the CLASSY
wave slips back, marking its limit with |
p fringe OF bubbles, reflects their stur.
dy legs like q brown mirror. Then a.
way they fly to where the spring. board |
IS poised temptingly.
The gentleman takes the raft and |
the lady the board. For one instant |
you see her slim figure, black against |
the summer sky, poised with appraised
hands on the end of the undulating
board. as light as abutterhy on bend |
ng spire OF grass. Then with spring
and flash OF red feet, her body de.
;crlbes an arc through the air, her
pointed fingers strike the CLASSY wa
5er, which divides in two fountains OF |
spray, and down, down, down,
through the cool, green depths, she
'leaves her way. The man follows,
Ind in a second they are up and the
ace begins. The oily water ripples
AWAY from their chins in two ever
widening lines. Side by side, his
brown head and her red handkerchief
Dob along on the top OF the water.
Vow she swims on her side, with one
.leaming wet arm shooting forward in
ong. swift strokes; then both togeth-
T they 6 ance ahead, sweeping through
he ripples with q steady, regular
motion. Suddenly they dis
appear, leaving nothing but line OF
bubbles on the surface, to emerge half
dozen rods father on, gasping, drip
1lng, laughing. jeering each other.
'he IS ahead, swimming on her side
With the top of the red handkerchief
to the waves. As she
makes a little spring forward with
very stroke, she looks back over her
houIder with a quick, painting laugh,
M flash OF brown eyes. The ex.
tied hackers on the wharf cheer lusti-
Y. The collegian makes @ suurt, and,
ufting as the waves in her wake strike
is lips, draws up beside her. The ex.
itement grows intense. They seem
0 leap through the water, their bod
IS rising and shooting forward with
ach powerful, outward sweep of their
rms. The watchers, frantically ex.
tied, rush down the Shiny steps, cheer
lg and yelling encouragement to their
hampions. The champions, painting,
Exhausted, scarlet, and bursting with
Iughter, make final, furious squirt,
5retch out their arms, are qrasped by
heir hackers, and, amid cheers, drawn
p on the steps. On the top OF the
lght the judge, in an abbreviated
lue and white striped garment which
etrays the extreme tenuity of his
,wer limbs, stands refectively rub.
ing his peellng nose, remaking with
"Ah tie, gentlemen The lady would
ave won, if she hadn't laughed SO
luch."
The lady, reclining on the stems. IN {
her shoulders in the water, rolls
er eyes scornfully at the Judge, being
20 GREATNESS to crush him with
beech.
Id Times on the Western Re-
serve.